Means for handling cable-drawn cars on inclines.



N0. 722,5o2. Y YPATENTED MAR.10,1903.

T. A. EDISON.

MEANS FOR HANDLING: CABLE DRAWN CARS ON INGLINES.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 9, 1903. no MOD-EL.

Witnesses Inventor Attomys UNITED STATES ATENT O FICE.

THOMAS A. EDISON, OF CHANGE, NEW JERSEY.

MEANS FOR HANDLING CABLE-DRAWN CARS ON lNCLlNES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 722,502, dated March 10, 1903. v

Application filed January 9,1903. Serial No. 138,431. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-v

Beitknown that LTHOMAS A.EDIs0N,acitizen of the'United States,'residing at Llewellyn Park, Orange, in the-county of 'Essex and State of New Jersey, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Means for Handling Cable-Drawn Cars on Inclines, of which the following is a description. In many arts'it becomes necessary to effectively handle cars on inclines-as, for in- -stan ce,in the unloading of coal-cars into pockets and in the depositing of material in bulk-- such as limestone, lime-rock, and oreinto the hoppers of breaking, crushing, and grinding apparatus. Heretofore in the operation of cars by cables the cars have been drawn up an incline having a horizontal extension on which the-cars rest while being unloaded. When all the cars have been unloaded and are located on the horizontal portion of the very perfect control both of the loaded and light cars on inclines and to entirely overcome the objections above referred to.

To this end the invention consists in constructiiig an incline in the formof a suitable scalfold or superstructure with a horizontal extension at the top of the incline at which the unloading or dumping operation takes place and with an auxiliary inclined portion beyond the horizontal extension capable of receiving agreater number of cars than the horizontal-portion, so that the weight of the cars on the 'auxiliary inclined portion will be suificient to force the car, orcarsfrom the horizontal portion. Furthermore, I prefer to operate the winding mechanism for the cable by an electric motor controlled as to its speed in a single direction only by means of a suitable rheostat and preferably equipped with an automatic brake which-comes into play when current tothe motor is cut off. In

this way the train is drawn up the incline by v the power of the motor, and the empty cars are'controlled in their return movement by admitting only sufficient current to the motor as to permit the weight of the cars to overcome the power thereof. By thus controlling the motor always in the same direction I do away entirely with the necessity of brakes or.

other friction apparatus for retarding the return movement of the empty cars, as is now.

the case.

In order that the invention may be better understood, attention is directed to the accompanying drawing, forming a part of this specification, and in which I illustrate diagrammatically an apparatus for carrying the invention into effect, showing atrain of four cars, the last one of which is illustrated in position on the horizontal portion of the superstructure.

A suitable frame or superstructure 1-.carries the main incline 2, leading from the ground-level and having the usual tracks for The. I

cars, three being shown on the auxiliary in-- clined portion and one on the horizontal portion'. either the main or auxiliary inclined portion will always be sufficient to move the car or cars off of the horizontal portion. The cars are drawn up the incline by a cable 6, con- In this way the weight of the cars on nected to a drum 7, driven by a motor 8 through suitable reducing-gearing 9. The motor 8 is preferably an electric motor connected across the mains 10 and its circuit in cluding an ordinary rheostat 11. Preferably the motor-circuit includes a coil 12, which when energized retracts a brake-shoe 13, cooperating with a band-wheeli on the motorshaft. When current to the motor is out 01f,

-a spring 14 applies the brake, as will be understood.

In operation the cable 6 is secured to the front of the train and cnrrent is supplied to the protor through the rheostatll. 'lho first ei'fectofi, the current is to release the brake 13, permitting the motor to operate to draw the train, up the incline. train is advanced so that. the front car rests upon the horizontal portion 4, at which point it maybe unloaded. The current is now cut off from the motor, whereupon the brake 13 will be operated to lock the cars in position. In the-drawing I illustrate crushing-rolls 15 for receiving thecontents of the cars,'and when these rolls are used each car is preferably provided with a' skip (not shown)- 0011- taining the material, so that'by removing each skip from the car a charge of material can be delivered to jthefcrushing-rolls. howeveig th'e cars can be unloaded in any oth'erway, When the front car of the train has: been unloaded, the rheostat 11' is again operated, releasing the brake 13 and exerting a torque in the motor sufficient to bring the SecQndcarontothe horizontal portion, where upon the current isagain out 01% from the motor and the brake once more operates to lock the train in' the new 'position.- These 5..

operations are repeated 11 ntil all the cars have been unloaded. W henit' is desired to allow the empty cars to pass down the incline, the

rheostat 11 is'operated to. permit the motor to develop a sufficient torque as to be overbalaneed by the weight of the empty cars, which therefore are permitted to slowly descend..

If the empty cars tend to descend too rapidly, more-current is admitted to the motor, and vice versa. By making use of the auxiliary inclined portion 5 it will be seen that the cars tend to always move downward, notwithstanding the'fact that a horizontal por- 5 tion is provided at which the unloading operation takes place, while by emplo ing the special arrangement of motor descri e'd I do Preferably the.

Obviously,

away entirely with the necessity of using brakes or other friction devices to resist the descentof the empty cars.

Having now described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is as follows:

1'. In apparatus for handling cable-drawn cars, the combination of a main inc-line,-a horizontal extension at the top thereof, an auxiliary incline, a cable,and means for 'operating the same, as and for the purposes set forth.

In apparatus for handling cable-drawn horizontal extension at the top thereof,- an

auxiliary incline longer. than the'horizontal' cars, the'combination of a main incline, a

portion, a cable, andmcans for operating the same, as'and forthe purposes set forth. 3. In apparatus for handling cable-drawn cars, the combination of an incline, a cable, a

winding-drum for operating the cab le,'.an

electric motor for operating the windingdrum,'and a rh eostat for controlling 'thespeed of the motor in a single direction," as and for the purposes set forth.

4."In apparatus for handling cable-drawn cars, the combination of an incline, acable, a 

